Leonardson Saratoga Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 http://leonardsonsaratoga.blogspot.com Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Leonardson Saratoga Posted May 30, 2007 Author Share Posted May 30, 2007 http://leonardsonsaratoga.blogspot.com Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Awfully bold of you to proclaim, in your first post, that your blog has an "intersting" view on something. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 One is enough, high speed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
m_to_the_c Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 For those who do not want to click the link, flame on. This was once written in a Rolling Stone review of the classic Neil Young album After the Goldrush: "Neil Young devotees will probably spend the next few weeks trying desperately to convince themselves that After the Gold Rush is good music. But they'll be kidding themselves. For despite the fact that the album contains some potentially first rate material, none of the songs here rise above the uniformly dull surface." (This of course proved to be far, far from the truth, as this went on to be named--numerous places--as one of the top 100 albums at the time. However its mellow feel was a shock at the time to Young fans, especially against the backdrop of his previous outputs in CSNY and Buffalo Springfield, as well as his solo efforts, all of which had a very different feel than ATGR) Anyways, this is pertinent to me when listening to the newest Wilco release, Sky Blue Sky, as this same quote about Young's record could be said of this record. In fact: Wilco devotees will probably spend the next few weeks trying desperately to convince themselves that Sky Blue Sky is good music. But they'll be kidding themselves. For despite the fact that the album contains some potentially first rate material, none of the songs here rise above the uniformly dull surface. Of course, although this is how I feel about the record, I can certainly concede that there is plenty of good music on it. But the problem is that what has always seemed to define Wilco is the same thing that has always seemed to define Neil Young, and that is the fact that Jeff Tweedy is the most confused individual in music. This of course is a personal belief. This is why this is an essay and not an album review. The thing that has constantly drawn me to the music of Wilco is that you never know where it is headed. Tweedy has always teetered on the edge of everything. Is he gonna go crazy or not? Is he going to make a country record or a rock record? Even within his albums, is the next song going to be a country song or a rock song? Consider this: on his greatest record, he started the album with a song called "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," and closed it with lyrics like "I've got reservations/About so many things/But not about you." It could be my attraction to this that I have an emperors-new-clothes feel about everyone loving this Wilco record. Everything about it--Tweedy's lyrics, the a-b-a-c-a format of each song, the predictable guitar solos--is predictable, and goes against everything I feel Wilco has stood for. Of course this record, musically, is very solid. Nels Cline's free jazz guitar work adds alot, with a few great solos, and Tweedy's unmistakable voice still works perfectly with the music. I know why this record is recieved well, especially considering Wilco gains more and new fans every day, but I feel that anyone who has established a previous relationship with Wilco should feel like they deserve more from this album. Either that, or we should all appreciate the time we spent with the music, and move on, as Wilco has passed us by. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 but I feel that anyone who has established a previous relationship with Wilco should feel like they deserve more from this album.I have and I don't. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Szabo Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 I'd give the essay a C- if I was his professor. I don't feel cheated at all, or that I deserve more from Wilco, or that Wilco should be ashamed of themselves. Sky Blue Sky is great music, and if you're a Wilco fan and you don't think it's good music, go buy a Bright Eyes album, get sad for awhile, when your sick of being sad, listen to Sky Blue Sky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Szabo Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 I'd now give the essay a D- for turning it in twice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 One is enough, high speed. Congratulations, you've now endorsed both threads. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
david Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Wilco devotees will probably spend the next few weeks trying desperately to convince themselves that Sky Blue Sky is good music. But they'll be kidding themselves. For despite the fact that the album contains some potentially first rate material, none of the songs here rise above the uniformly dull surface. (Quoted from the post by m to the c) I FEEL THE SAME WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GREAT JOB. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dude Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 I'd give the essay a C- if I was his professor. I don't feel cheated at all, or that I deserve more from Wilco, or that Wilco should be ashamed of themselves. Sky Blue Sky is great music, and if you're a Wilco fan and you don't think it's good music, go buy a Bright Eyes album, get sad for awhile, when your sick of being sad, listen to Sky Blue Sky. If you were his professor, I'd hope you'd know the difference between 'your' and 'you're'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Congratulations, you've now endorsed both threads.When I cash a check for having posted in them, I will have given them my endorsement, slow coach. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 When I cash a check for having posted in them, I will have given them my endorsement, slow coach. I endorsed Big Perm for Mayor of Ummville, and he never wrote me a check. That skinflint. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WilcoFan Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 [quote name='Đ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Szabo Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 [quote name='Đ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Hey guys! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 One is enough, high speed.Yea, me too..that was crap at any speed. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
unposed_question Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Awfully bold of you to proclaim, in your first post, that your blog has an "intersting" view on something. Interesting? No. It would be have to be original to be considered interesting. This person isn't saying anything different than alot of people who find the album too mellow for them. SBS is great. It is great in relation to the rest of the Wilco catalog, and it is great in relation to the rest of the music being written and performed today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
H to the ickle Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 I like the really confused single sentence about YHF. The rest is old news. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
david Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Interesting? No. It would be have to be original to be considered interesting. This person isn't saying anything different than alot of people who find the album too mellow for them. SBS is great. It is great in relation to the rest of the Wilco catalog, and it is great in relation to the rest of the music being written and performed today. My opnion is SBS is ok, but I find myself playing the new one by The National alot more. This does not diminish the love I have for Wilco's music now or in the future. Just because we like a particular artist does not mean we have to like all of their releases. Which I feel people on this board do not get, and listen with blinders on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FixedBayonet Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Dude. "Cripple Creek FAIRY"???? Think you'll find it's "Cripple Creek Ferry". And how exactly is this an 'interesting' view on SBS? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 My opnion is SBS is ok, but I find myself playing the new one by The National alot more. This does not diminish the love I have for Wilco's music now or in the future. Just because we like a particular artist does not mean we have to like all of their releases. Which I feel people on this board do not get, and listen with blinders on."People on this board" is a broad generalization - there has been plenty of criticism from long and short-time Wilco fans on this board ever since the album first streamed way back in April(?) - what we don't need is somebody starting a thread when they have a half-assed review on a blog that says nothing that hasn't already been said a thousand times already. I wish I had blinders for this sort of thing. Now that I think more about your statement, I realize what a great idea that is - listening with blinders on. Holy mixed metaphor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FixedBayonet Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Sorry if I was harsh, dude. However, kudos on your choice of avatar. Leonardson Saratoga was which member of Golden Smog?Jeff Tweedy? Or was it Murphy? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Leonardson Saratoga Posted May 31, 2007 Author Share Posted May 31, 2007 Ahhh crap!!! I can't believe I put Fairy!!! I was even listening to it on my ipod as I wrote that. Plus that is one of my faves. I am such an idiot. Anyways first of all I appreciate the feedback. That was my first post in that blog. I feel bad for "pimping" it but I just wanted to get it off the ground and get feedback (and sorry for the double post, not intentional). I have done writing in various low-profile places and it is something I enjoy and don't really know if I have skills at, so I wanted credible people (read: Wilco fans) to see it. Hopefully I'll actually keep writing in this blog and you guys will keep checking it...my interests are good music, food (nice, fancy food, as well as fast food) and sports, so I will probably try to write about alot of those things. I would also like to revise my use of the word "interesting," as that is a bit pretentious. It was more meant as a "different" (not better or worse) view of SBS than most places I'd read either in publications or on here. So, sorry about that. I liked what David said about not having to like every release by a band. That is something that I feel the same way about, but also fall into it. Of course I'll check out every Wilco record, but I happen to strongly dislike SBS. I don't feel that what i said was "what has been said thousands of times lately." I wasn't at all saying it was just because it was mellow, I meant that it strongly conflicts with the underlying themes of Wilco's previous music, be it a rocker like Outtasite (Outtamind) or a song like Via Chicago. Certainly I do not want to flame, though, I appreciate any feedback, be it biting criticism or strong encouragement. Sorry this was so long, I appreciate discussion about my ideas (like anyone) and wanted to clear that stuff up. Oh and the avatar IS a member of Golden Smog (first person to voice their notice of it!) but I can't seem to find anywhere whether it is Tweedy or one of the others. If anyone knows be sure to let me know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FixedBayonet Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 Sorry mate! I didn't mean to be a cranksterbot. I know firsthand how tough it is writing a blog and trying to get folks to read it. Can be very tough and unrewarding! Please ignore my sarcasm and keep up the good work! It seems that we're quick to flame on this board and I'm a shocking repeat offender in this regard. Don't take it personal like! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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